Maintaining good oral hygiene is important if you want to protect your tooth and gums, according to DentalHealth,org. If you slack off it could lead to a variety of dental conditions and diseases, and may even cause long-term issues.
While preventing dental conditions and disease should definitely be your goal – what if you don’t achieve it? Learning about some of the more common dental issues that you may face could help you to recognize them a lot sooner:
- Bad breath (halitosis)
If you have an unpleasant odor coming from your mouth, there could be a number of causes. The most common are certain types of food, tobacco products, gum disease, dry mouth, and tongue bacteria – but it could also be a sign of oral cancer, and other mouth, nose or throat conditions.
The best way to handle bad breath is to practice good oral hygiene. Assuming it still persists, you should visit a dentist to identify the cause.
- Tooth decay (cavities)
When food containing carbohydrates is left on your teeth it will form plaque. That plaque will then interact with the bacteria in your mouth and create acid – which will erode your tooth enamel, and result in a cavity being formed.
To prevent cavities you need to make sure that you brush and floss regularly so that plaque doesn’t form. Once you do have a cavity you will need to visit the dentist for treatment. In some cases you may be able to seal or fill the cavity, but in others the tooth may need to be extracted.
- Gum disease (gingivitis and periodontitis)
When food and plaque gets trapped near your gums it can cause an infection. In its early stages when the gums around the teeth are infected it is known as gingivitis, but if left untreated the bone below the gums can get infected – which is known as periodontitis.
Make no mistake gum disease is a serious condition, and it can cause your gums to bleed, recede, and even lead to tooth loss. The best way to avoid it is good oral hygiene, but if you’re already infected then you should get it treated as quickly as possible.
- Mouth sores
Frankly speaking there are many different types of mouth sores, each of which has a different cause. The most common is probably canker sores, which are relatively harmless tissue wounds.
If your mouth sores persist and seem to get worse however, you should definitely visit a dentist in Sheffield, such as https://one80dental.co.uk/, or someplace nearby. It could be a sign of an underlying condition, and if it is then you need to get it treated.
As a rule if you feel that you have any of the conditions listed above, you should try not to delay before making a dental appointment. Generally it is always best the get dental conditions and diseases treated sooner rather than later, to prevent them from getting worse and potentially causing other issues to arise.
Simply put – if you have any doubts, go for a dental checkup just to be safe.